Djadja replaces Sjafrie as Jakarta military chief

JAKARTA (JP): Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will be replaced as chief of the Jakarta Military Command after serving only eight months in the post.

The new incoming commander is Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman, currently the chief of the Brawijaya Military Command overseeing East Java.

Sjafrie, once considered a rising star in the Armed Forces (ABRI) Headquarters, is a 1974 graduate of the Army Academy. Djadja holds the same rank as Sjafrie but is the more senior of the two, having graduated from the academy in 1972.

"Maj. Gen. Sjafrie will soon become assistant for territorial affairs to the Armed Forces chief of general affairs," ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said while announcing the reassignment of several officers here yesterday.

Sjafrie will replace Maj. Gen. Deddy Sudarmadji, who is set to assume an administrative post at the Armed Forces Headquarters.

Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto will take over the post as chief of the Brawijaya Military Command left vacant by Djadja. Djoko is a 1970 graduate of the Army Academy.

The Armed Forces Headquarters said the new postings were part of a "normal" rotation of assignments.

Rumors that Sjafrie might be removed from his post have been rife since the devastating riots which hit Jakarta last month.

Syamsul, however, was quick to deny such speculation.

"No, it's not true. The transfer of duty was purely a normal and routine change of tour by the Armed Forces Headquarters," he said.

Sjafrie, who had a admirable record in his early years in the Army's special force (Kopassus), served as one of former president Soeharto's adjutants from 1993 to 1995.

The 46-year-old general apparently continues to maintain close ties with the former president and has been seen accompanying Soeharto to perform Friday prayers several times since the latter's resignation last month.

Djadja, 49, is known to be a close friend of Gen. Wiranto, especially after he assisted the Armed Forces chief in organizing a huge joint-military exercise on Natuna island, Riau province, in 1996.

Djadja has never served as a presidential adjutant.

Among those also included in the tour rotation announcements was Maj. Gen. Ryamizard R.C., who will become deputy chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad). He will replace Maj. Gen. Kivlan Zen, who will be assigned an administrative task at the Armed Forces Headquarters.

Ryamizard, son-in-law of former vice president Try Sutrisno, is currently commander of Kostrad's Second Division, which is based in Malang, East Java.

On Wednesday, Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto announced the new chiefs of the Navy, the Air Force and the National Police. (imn)